Studio Explortations

 A) I am still deciding whether or not I'd like to explore the Woodstock Site,  Smallwood Lake, or both, since they are somewhat related. The Woodstock Site is pictured below, and is the old farmland that once hosted the 1969 Woodstock festival. As a kid, I did a lot of community work with my parents and the town to clean up this area, plant gardens, and help with the harvest festivals they put on in the late 1990s. I also attended all of the Woodstock reunion shows that were held in the 90s. This piece of land has since been developed and is now home to the Bethel Woods Performing Arts Center, which has become a tourist attraction to the "yuppies", as us locals call them. The field isn't available to the public to explore anymore and the town has since lost its sense of community, catering specifically to the yuppies. The Woodstock Site has become the antithesis of everything Woodstock was about. Similarly, Smallwood Lake, which was also once open to the public and local residents, has also become private as a result of greed. I am no longer allowed to swim in my lake, a place where I was allowed to do so for so many years. In the case of both places, the seasonal residents of my area are given more attention than the permanent residents, simply because they have money.

I found this photo through a google image search and interestingly enough, the file name is "No Walking Allowed".

 

 

 

Smallwood Lake, Winter 2011

Smallwood Lake, Autumn 2009

B) Should non-locals be given more consideration than locals residents? Shouldn't locals be given any kind of advantages, such as discounts? How does someone own a body of water?

 C) I think I'm going to talk to some local residents who have observed these places both then and now. I also plan to take a look at the records of how many year-round residents actually belong to Smallwood Lake, as opposed to seasonal residents.

D) I'm not sure which artists I plan to use for inspiration yet, but probably some artists relating to the Woodstock era.

E) Since my sites are about restriction, I'm thinking about making a trespassing sign or something else to signify restriction. I may also do something with the iconic Woodstock dove image.